Retrospective accounts of femme lesbian, bisexual and queer women’s contextual safety in childhood and adolescence in Australia

Lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women are under increasing threat. The combined nature of patriarchal misogyny, femmephobia and queerphobia contributes to high levels of sexual violence and harassment. Current literature focuses on biomedical health – STIs and pregnancy – and interventions targeting youth behaviour. Sociocultural factors are often treated as secondary. Here, we focus on Contextual Safety (CS) – the relationships, discourses, and interpersonal behaviours of others that afford risk, harm, or safety. Through a critical feminist lens, we explored LBQ femme-women’s retrospective accounts of CS. A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of repeated interviews with 10 femme- and LBQ-identified Australians provided insight into experiences and what can be done to protect young people. Pervasive masculine entitlement, with the media’s sexualisation of LBQ femininity, were key contributors to harm. Left with little choice, subject to feminine devaluation, participants often self-sabotaged in response to sexual threats through feigning and fawning. Participants’ experiences displayed stereotype incompatibility and confusion, leading to behaviours which validate either queer identity or a feigned cis-het identity in equally risky ways. Participants urged families and schools to minimise risk through community education. We must continue to push against the status quo to afford more safety in sexual exploration.